China is smoking itself to death. It is the largest consumer and producer of tobacco related goods, and it is responsible for producing 42% of the cigarettes in the world

As my friends and I were taking the night train from Haerbin to Beijing, we had some trouble sleeping: Cigarette smoke was spreading throughout the car and was depriving us of fresh air. We decided to do something about it and went to seek help with one of the train managers; The manager looked confused when we told him that the smoke was bothering us. We urged him to come back with us to our car and to see for himself that the smoke is too thick to bare. After much nudging, he finally came along, but was reluctant to help. Ironically, one of my friends distinctively noticed a “NO SMOKING” sign hanging on the wall of the car, yet when she made the manager aware of it, he simply took it off the wall and left.

Watch: Smoking in China Is Getting Worse

Smoking in China is a widespread phenomenon: China is the largest consumer and producer of tobacco related goods, and it is responsible for producing 42% of the cigarettes in the world. While currently there are more than 350 million people who smoke in China, the number of smokers is continuously on the rise: According to a joint report by Yang Gonghuan, vice-director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention and by Hu Angang, director of the Research Center for Contemporary China at Tsinghua University, titled: “Tobacco Control and the Future of China”, China has seen a 40% increase in tobacco output during the past five years, and it is expected that by 2030 over 3.5 million people could die in China from smoking-related illnesses, unless the government takes drastic measures to prevent the spreading phenomenon.

Smoking in China is a Serious Problem

Realizing the grave situation, the Ministry of Health issued a formal decision on May 20th, 2009, to completely ban smoking in all health administration offices and in medical facilities by the year 2011. Despite the major progress this law allows, China still lags behind western countries in terms of smoking regulations. Furthermore, despite what seems to be stricter smoking laws, these laws are rarely enforced, and smoking is still prominent in many private and public places in China.

Attacking the issue of Smoking in China, Beijing is facing multiple problems: Primarily, the government is reluctant to regulate, because tax revenue from tobacco produced goods is a major element in government income: 6 percent of the tax revenue that is received by the government derives from the tobacco industry. Furthermore, the tobacco industry employes some 20 million tobacco planters and approximately 250,000 workers. It seems, therefore, that the government lacks the incentive to reduce the number of smokers.

Second, the exchange of gifts is a cultural element that carries great importance in China. As gifts, tobacco products are considered popular among business colleagues and among friends. As a Laowai, a foreigner who is living in China, I have encountered this problem myself, and I have always tried to avoid smoking in China (I am not a smoker). Nevertheless, in some occasions, when people smoke and the doors and windows are closed, I unwillingly become a second hand smoker.

Smoking in China is becoming more popular, yet authorities do not fully appreciate the gravity of the situation: According to a survey conducted by WHO (World Health Organization) in 2008, despite rising taxes on cigarettes, the proportion of tax on cigarette prices in China is one of the lowest in the world: Only 37%. To compare, it is 80% in the U.K, 76% in Germany and 54% in India. Analysis indicates that tax benefits, although high, are mitigated by tobacco-related medical expenditure and loss of productivity, which much like tobacco use, are rising explosively. Therefore, it is evidently in the favor of Beijing to deal with the smoking problem as soon as possible by enforcing stricter laws. Until then, laowais and Chinese people alike will continue to suffer from lack of fresh air in restaurants, trains and office buildings.

16 Comments

Wow, Lai, I have missed your blog for a couple of days, and it really hurts, I need to relive the stress by smoking a cig….In my case I’m joking. I smoked for the first time when I was about 5 or 6, “rabbit tobacco” as the Native Americans called it. You could find it growing in the wooded fields where I lived. Put it in a corn cobb pipe and smoke it…wretched taste, really grabs the throat…But the Native Americans got used to it Next time I smoked was in college. I bought an antique pipe originally from Germany and smoked cherry tobacco in it. I also had a tweed sports coat with leather elbow patches. The thing that finally caused me to quit that was …cleaning the pipe.. a dirty messy disgusting looking tar of saliva and tobacco with a strong wretched smell. Also as a smoker you can’t smell much of the cherry blend. the second hand smoker gets more of the benefits of that After that I smoked mary jane, again for about a year… Too expensive in those days, too risky, and too sleep inducing. I needed to become calm but not konked out. So after that I have never smoked. You know that here in Japan it was the same as what you are describing here now.
What was the decisive element that changed Japan? I think it was the American effect. The sudden and dramatic change in American society towards the costs vs benefits of smoking was noticed by “little brother” here.

So, what will be the outside influence on China? Nothing, China is too big it will have to learn the hard way, or is that loss of life and cost within the system the easier way than to stop smoking?

If memory serves me correct, in order to join the WTO, China had to commit to reducing the number of smokers in the country. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on one’s perspective, the Chinese people, as a result of tradition or culture, are very resistant to government intrusion into their personal lives. That is a philosophy that I can wholeheartedly support having seen the effects of “nanny states” on people throughout the world.

Last year sometime I remember reading an article about a large and well known restaurant in Beijing that decided to ban smoking. Within 30 days its business had dropped significantly and the restaurant was faced with two choices: Allow smoking or go out of business.

The Chinese are very reluctant to follow laws that they do not agree with or wish to follow. A significant portion of that is due to their hedonistic tendencies. Laws regulating smoking are not well received by most Chinese due to cultural and traditional reasons.

Personally, I detest the smell of many Chinese cigarettes. I also find annoying some of the actions of Chinese people. However, I must remind myself that I am living in their culture and I have no right to insist on them observing my culture, beliefs or prerogatives. I am a guest in their home.

As for the medical concerns, as a retired medical professional, I do not buy into all the stated consequences of either first or second hand smoke. There is a significant amount of “junk science” in the statistics quoted which has been allowed to stand due to Western society’s perceptions and advocacy of political correctness.

Lior – you continually mention “fresh air.” Indeed, a rare commodity here in China, even without second hand smoke. LOL I would venture a guess that the pollutants you breath in every day are equally, if not more dangerous than those that may exist in second hand smoke.

Things in China that bother you, or any of us, will not change quickly, nor should they do so necessarily. In my lifetime I have seen plenty of changes. In many respects, living here in China is like living in the “last frontier.” Civilization is not always a good thing.

Hey Old Codger, Thank you for your comment. Although I agree with you that cultural habits are hard (or sometimes impossible) to get rid of, smoking should be different. We are talking about a phenomenon that costs the government millions (if not trillions) of RMB to treat and causes millions of deaths, and here, unlike the rest of the world, it is spreading and not winding down.

The smoking problem, in my opinion, is merely an indicator of what is happening in China as far as law regulation (or lack there of) is concerned. No one likes to follow rules, and the Chinese people are no different. Yet China is in a changing phase. If it is unable to recognize problems and to regulate rules to solve these problems, then how will this country be able to sustain itself in the long run?

I did not write this article because smoking bothers me personally, I wrote it because this is a serious problem for China and its future, and if it is not dealt with in the most serious manner then the cost will be grave.

Cultural behavior can be changed; It is just a matter of law enforcement and education.

I like that story with the sign. It is so typical in China that whenever a problem rises, instead of dealing with the situation, they try to avoid a conflict. Typical Confucianism.
Yet I do think that smoking will be mitigated sometime soon, otherwise they are dealing with some very serious consequences

I don’t agree with you Larry. You referred to Confucianism: One of its milestones is to avoid conflict. How do you think they will be able to enforce a no smoking law? They smoke everywhere in China.. I don’t see it happening, despite the consequences

This is not to say that this post is not informative, but it doesn’t say anything I didn’t know before. I am a foreign student who is studying in Xiamen for 6 months, and even here the cigarette situation is not as good as you would expect (Xiamen is one of the few regions in China who is clean). People in China just love to smoke, and right now I don’t see a way out of it. It’s funny because I am a smoker myself, but after realizing that I can’t escape this “smokey” atmosphere, I decided to quit. So at least for now my home is smoke free.

The habit of smoking in China is inherited deeply into our culture. Chairman Mao was a big smoker, and ever since then people started smoking. Because of government encouragement (ads and low taxes), more and more people are joining the cycle.

Cigarettes is the strongest addiction in the world today. Some say, more than heroine. You can’t give it to people for decades and then make them quit in one decision. If the government really want to solve the problem (and after seeing the link Fliss has provided I think they do), then they need on one hand to regulate and ENFORCE new rules and on the other hand educate people about the damage of cigarettes. You would be surprised how many people are not aware (AT ALL) that there is even the slightest damage from smoking…

I tend to agree with what Anqi wrote. It is not just to tell people “hey stop smoking”. It is truly a serious addiction, and it just seems to me that the government is not giving this issue the amount of importance that it really deserves!

I think the next generation might be more aware of this, as I know that they teach in school about the horrible effects of second hand smoke. I managed to convince my uncle to only smoke outside (at least when I was there). I know a few kids who managed to convince there parents to quit…
What can I say, I guess kids are just smarter.

Agree with you Jessica. Many of my Chinese friends (who are young) are telling me their parents don’t fully understand that smoking is harmful for you, but they are working hard to convince them. I don’t know how widespread this is, but it is a good start in the right direction

If they could get people to stop smoking in New York, London, and Paris (!!!!!), it can be done in China. But the authorities have to make it a priority, which they have not done. The financial benefits are too high for the government.

When I was tutoring at the Chinese version of the FDA, I remember walking through the halls of their headquarters in Beijing (in which smoking was banned) only to see clouds of tobacco smoke billowing out from under the doors!

* When meeting someone, it is courteous to offer an expensive cigarette but not to shake hands.

* During the course of a dinner, to demonstrate to the host that the meal is great and that we are having a good time, it is courteous to pass cigarettes around and to smoke as we are eating.

* When going to meet people, it is courteous to have two packs of cigarettes.
The one that you smoke usually, and a more expensive one that you will offer to the person(s) you want to honor. I have been offered 100′s of very expensive cigarettes cartons.

* Sharing a cigarette is a mark of friendship, trust and respect. It is seen as impolite to smoke alone as well as to drink alone…